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About 3 seasons ago, kid makes a tackle on a punt, is knocked out cold. Can tell he's out as he fell with his arm underneath him at a wierd angle and he never attempts to move it once he's down.
There's an EMT on our crew that day, but there is a doctor present (league rule) and he examines him and summons the ambulance. They unscrew his facemask and start to administer an airway as he starts making a snoring sound (the EMT later tells me that when that happens it means their airway is obstructed and they are about to stop breathing). The entire team is behind me on the sidelines on one knee, most openly crying as they believe this boy is dying. Weeks earlier, a boy had collapsed and died at a scrimmage, so it was the first thing I thought of and I'm sure they did too. One of the assistant coaches with the player is yelling the boy's name at him imploring him to wake up and try to squeeze his hand. As he keeps repeating himself, it just makes the situation seem more deperate as you can tell he's not responding.
They get him stabilized and on his way to the hospital. Now we have to regroup and play the rest of this game. I'm pretty shaken up at this point, as are most involved.
The player ended up having suffered a pretty bad concussion, but plays i the state championship game that year and makes something like 15 tackles (he was a freshman) in a win for his club. He will be going to Syracuse this fall. Happy ending for him but a pretty scary moment back then.
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